


Most Nights

by Fuzzypurplestuff



Series: Brothers and Sisters [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Louis only makes a brief appearance, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2833688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuzzypurplestuff/pseuds/Fuzzypurplestuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the lying is too much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Most Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta/brit picker [Sam](http://asteriaseren2010.tumblr.com//)

“No.”

“Lottie. . .”

“No!”

“You just have–“

“I don’t _just have to_ , forget it.” Lottie Tomlinson threw her bag on the bed. “I have work to do.”

“Miss Tomlinson–“

Lottie rolled her eyes. “Trying to sound like a teacher isn’t going to help.”

“Do you like working here?”

Lottie whirled to face the threatening party. “What?”

Nathaniel Michaels smirked. “I asked if you like working here.”

“Just hold up, right there.” Lou Teasdale stepped in. “Lottie doesn’t actually work for you.”

Michaels raised a brow at the stylist. “Oh, really?”

Lou’s answering smile was less than friendly. “Yes, really. She works for me, as an apprentice.”

“And yet you work for us.”

“Yes I do, and I’m pretty sure you can’t break my contract because my apprentice won’t go shopping.” She grinned cheekily. “But you go ahead, ask your lawyers, we’ll wait. Oh, and while you’re at it, you might want to run the idea of firing his sister past Louis, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.”

Michaels tried another approach. “It’s one afternoon, shopping. In New York City. At Christmas. I’m sure we could even arrange a bit of pocket money.”

Lottie rolled her eyes. “You think you can bribe me?”

“It would be fun! New York! You could do your Christmas shopping.”

“I already did my Christmas shopping, in London.”

“Look, we just need you to be seen for a few minutes, just go for coffee even.”

“I said no, I won’t help you treat my brother like that.” Lottie gathered her coat. “Now, I’m going to see my mum, good-bye.”

 

Lottie stomped into the hotel suite occupied by her family a few minutes later and was surprised to see Harry Styles standing in front of the windows holding her youngest sister, Doris, and swaying back and forth. “Harry?”

“Hey, Chuck. I thought mum said you were working.” Harry danced Doris around the room.. “Did you decide to come party with me and Dee-Dee?”

Lottie smiled, Harry had nicknames for all her siblings. “Where’s everyone else?”

“They went for lunch. My girl here didn’t want to wake up, so we get to have some time to work on our moves.” He spun the giggling baby across the room singing a jaunty Christmas tune.

Lottie chuckled, if only their fans could see this side of Harry Styles. “Well, I’m glad you two are having fun.” She settled onto the sofa to watch their antics.

Something in her tone must have struck Harry. He gave Doris a big smacking kiss on the cheek and set her on her blanket with her toys. “You play here for a minute, Dee-Dee, I havta see to Chuck.” He flopped onto the sofa next to Lottie. “So?”

Lottie leaned her head on his shoulder. “It sucks.”

“Okay.” Harry wrapped an arm around her. “You wanna be a bit more specific.”

“Not really.”

“Did someone say something to upset you?”

Lottie shrugged.

Harry dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “C’mon, what’s up, Chuck?”

Lottie snuggled closer and sniffled. “They wanted me to go shopping with Eleanor.”

“I–“ Harry’s brow furrowed. “When did she get here?”

Lottie shrugged again. “Other day I guess, I don’t know.”

“Huh, Lou didn’t mention she was here.” Harry’s voice was a bit tighter than before, his mouth slightly pinched.

Lottie thought about it for a moment. No one had actually mentioned Eleanor’s name in weeks. “I’m not even sure he knows.”

Harry’s face softened and relaxed. “Yeah, he was supposed to have this week with just you guys.” He sighed. “It was part of the trade off.”

“Nadine?”

“Yeah.”

“She seems nice.”

“Oh, she is, she’s great, it’s why I suggested it be her instead of whoever they would have come up with, at least she’s a friend, but you know.” He smiled wistfully.

“Yeah, it’s really stupid.”

“So, if they can’t make Lou see Eleanor or be seen with her, you’re the next best thing?”

“I guess. I mean, I just– it feels– I just can’t, you know. Everything they’ve done to you guys, I just can’t help them. I’m sorry.” Lottie eyes filled with tears.

“Aww, Chuck.” Harry cuddled her close. “It’s okay. Everyone involved in this has had to do something they didn’t want to.”

Lottie sighed, soaking up Harry’s warmth. “But–, I mean I know Gems will hang with her sometimes. . .”

“Not happily, believe me.” Harry voice held a touch of humour.

“Yeah, I know, she told me.” Lottie grinned. “They wanted Eleanor to come with us when we went on our girl’s trip.”

“Really? I never heard that.”

Lottie nodded, remembering the ensuing battle of wills. “Hmhmm, they said it would be perfect. Since you refuse to acknowledge her existence–“

“Heeeyyy!”

“They though some girly bonding time with your sister, Louis’ sister and one of your best friends would really help seal the one big happy– blah blah blah.”

“And Gems said no?”

“Oh, yeah, she threw a right fit at them. Told them it was in fact a family outing and as such Eleanor would not be joining us. Then she just walked away, completely ignoring them.”

“That’s my girl.” Harry grinned proudly.

“She’s super protective of you.”

“I know.”

“You are of her too.”

Harry nodded. “I am.”

“Then I should be able to protect Louis too, right?”

“Of course you can, but you have to look after you too. We would never want you to jeopardise your job with Lou for us.”

“My job isn’t as important as this, no job–“ Lottie seemed to realise what she might be inferring her hand flew to cover her mouth. “OH! Oh no! I didn’t mean. . .”

“Sssh, don’t be silly. I know what you meant.” Harry soothed gently. “It’s very different. I think it’s easier to deal with people treating you badly than it is to watch someone you love treated badly.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Lottie conceded reluctantly. “It was easier when I didn’t know.”

“I know.” Harry ran his hand down her hair. “You know we hated lying to you, right?”

“Yeah, I just, it’s so hard. I don’t know how our mums have handled it.”

“Mine has been very vocal about how much she hates it, and has no trouble telling anyone she thinks needs to hear it, her opinion on the subject.”

“Hmm, like refusing to let Taylor stay at your house?”

Harry snorted. “Exactly like that. I take it Gems told you about that?”

“She said Anne had a real go at Will.”

“Understatement. I actually feared for Will.”

Lottie sat back so she could see Harry’s face. “I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t want a stranger who is using my son to stay in my house either.”

“Well, to be fair, we were using each other.” Harry corrected gently.

“Gems said Taylor was really picky and bossy about what would be said and done and how many times you guys would be seen and where and what you would be doing and that she was really pissed when your mum refused to let her stay.”

“Yeah, Taylor isn’t used to people saying no to her. I think Mum was a whole new experience for her.”

“So why didn’t my mum say no?”

“Ah, love, it’s not really the same thing.”

“But why? She said all that crap on Twitter about Eleanor being, like, the perfect girlfriend!” Lottie angrily brushed away a tear. 

“Please don’t cry, love. Jay’s situation is different from my mum’s. Louis having a full time girlfriend–“

“Don’t call her that!”

“Think of it this way, every time your mum mentions or tweets a photo of Eleanor, it’s one less time Louis has to be seen with or talk about her.” Harry brushed a tear off Lottie’s cheek with his thumb. “So you see, Jay really is helping. So much.”

“Well, mum can do whatever she wants, but I just can’t, I can’t even look at her.” Lottie sniffled again and burrowed back into Harry’s side. “I thought she was my friend.”

“I’m sure she–“

Lottie started shaking her head before he could finish. “Nope. As soon as I was told she stopped. She doesn’t even bother trying now.”

“Has she said anything to you?” Harry asked, his voice ice cold.

“Not as such. She just makes it really clear she can’t be bothered.”

“She’s bloody well being paid to be bothered!”

“I don’t really care. She’s just my brother’s co-worker as far as I’m concerned.” She tried to push down and hide the hurt. Eleanor had been her friend, she had looked up to and admired the older girl.

“It’s still not right.” Harry argued.

“One good thing that came out of all this is that I got to be friends with Gemma now. She’s a better big sister anyway.” 

“Best big sister you could ask for.” Harry picked up Lottie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “And I don’t mind sharing.”

“Only fair, since I share all mine with you.”

“You– ooops, hang on there, Dee-Dee!” Harry pried his shoe out of Doris’ hand. “Yucky!” 

The little one giggled at him and tried to give him her soggy stuffed tiger.

“No thanks, lovie, you keep that one.”

“You’re really good with her.”

“I love kids, and my girl Dee-Dee here, is one of the best.”

Lottie slipped off the sofa and joined Harry and Doris on the floor. “I’m not going to pretend to be her friend anymore.”

“That’s okay, Louis’ not really pretending to be her boyfriend anymore so. . . “

Lottie giggled as she dangled a sparkly set of keys for Doris to bat at. She turned to look at Harry the smile slipping off her face. “I hope you guys can be together soon.” She whispered sadly.

“But that’s the thing, Chuck, we are together, we have _always_ been together. We go to sleep together most nights and wake up together most mornings and most days we spend all the hours in between together. Right now, the parts of our lives we share with the public are tough, and I hate it with everything I am. But that’s such a very small part of who we are. What I can’t wait for, is to be able to tell everyone that I have the most wonderful man in the world in love with me. I want to be able to tell them all how beautiful a person the real Louis Tomlinson is.” He reached out and cupped her cheek. “But for now, most nights we go to sleep together, and I hold tight to that.”

Lottie launched herself at him sobbing quietly. “I’m so happy he has you.”

The were still cuddled together on the floor watching Doris play when the Tomlinson-Deakin clan arrived half an hour later. “Oi, what’s this.” Louis exclaimed loudly. “Family cuddles and no one invited me!” He flopped down with them and started wiggling to find the perfect spot.

Lottie laughed. “I still don’t understand what you see in him.” She tucked into Harry side to avoid her big brother’s tickling fingers.

Harry smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. “He has his uses.”

Lottie leapt to her feet. “Ew ick, bleh! NO!” She shot Harry a horrified look before sprinting across the room to join her mother and sisters who were going through the bags they had brought back with them.

Louis picked up the soggy tiger and handed it to Doris. “So, what was all that about?”

Harry pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s temple. “Just brother and sister stuff, nothing to worry about.”

 

The End


End file.
